Six people that I know, have met, spent considerable time with, or have close family ties with have died by suicide.
Six.
Six lives.
I am only in my mid-thirties.
This number is shocking to me in a horrible way.
I get mad, sad, angry, frustrated, and sometimes discouraged when I think about the loss of those six people.
A friend’s dad, a friend’s brother, a young athlete from my days of coaching basketball camps, two old coworkers, and a close family acquaintance.
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week so I think it is important to highlight the urgency around being able to talk about mental health and suicide.
As leaders in businesses, getting more comfortable with these conversations is a must. And not just because it’s good for business…
Furthermore, I heard a statistic (unfortunately I can’t remember where it was from), but a study found 82% of frontline workers said they have felt loneliness or experienced loneliness within the past year while in the workplace.
82%!
Leaders take notice - sometimes it’s not about the access to benefits for mental health, time off, sick days, other health benefits, etc. Although, these things are helpful.
It is more about the human connection on a daily basis.
It is about the work environment leaders are creating.
It is about how coworkers and peers are supporting and treating each other.
It is about making people be seen, heard, cared for, and having psychological safety.
As leaders I hope that we continue to work toward making conversations around mental health and suicide more normal, more okay, and less of a stigma.
And I hope leaders take serious time to find tangible methods toward building better work environments for all.
Week 20 of 52
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